


Object Lesson

by Crowgirl



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Not Beta Read, POV Outsider, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 06:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20110423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowgirl/pseuds/Crowgirl
Summary: Good. Warm. Safe.





	Object Lesson

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elizajane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizajane/gifts).
  * Inspired by [wanted](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20096179) by [elizajane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizajane/pseuds/elizajane). 

There’s pain and then there isn’t.

_There, little one._

There’s a soft voice and pleasantly warm hands.

_You’ll be safe here. Be more careful of roads._

There’s a gentle touch on his head and the snake is alone on sun-warmed stone. 

He noses along the length of his body for the pain that something says should be there -- and isn’t. When he finds nothing, he gives the snake equivalent of a shrug and coils up in a loose knot to enjoy the sunshine. 

Which, of course, is when there’s a crackling noise and he raises his head to see two humans-- No. Two _not_ humans. One extends his hands; the snake flicks out his tongue and tastes the same scent as before, when the pain wasn’t.

_May I?_

The snake slithers forward into soft palms. The skin tastes of green things and water and other things the snake doesn’t understand. There are voices above his head but they’re just noise so he ignores them until he’s being gently shifted from warm hands to-- _oh._

_Little brother,_ the snake who doesn’t look like a snake just now says. _Are you well?_

_Safe,_ the snake replies, happily coiling around brother’s fingers in a pattern meant to show joy.

_My -- my friend made you safe._

_Good,_ the snake says, curling through a different pattern. _Warm. Safe._ He tries to make a pattern that means how lucky brother is to have this with him -- to be always safe.

_Yes. He made you safe._

_Safe,_ the snake repeats insistently, aware that brother’s taste has shifted from spice to blood and dust. _Good._

_Yes. He is._

**Author's Note:**

> When Elizajane was drafting out [wanted](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20096179) and feeling a little discouraged, I said if she kept on, I'd write her the snake's POV.


End file.
